John Corona began his teaching career in 1979 in the Riverside Unified School District and is the man behindt the coceptof King High Remembers.  He started teaching history at ML King High in 2001 after spending 21 years teaching at Arlington High. he retired in 2019.

The idea of King High Remembers came to him almost by accident.  In 2001 he asked his student to interview a veteran of a past conflict.  In his first year, 28 local military veterans were interviewed by 78 Junior year students.  The program flourished and grew and some have said it is the largest high school project of its kind in the United States.  "Withoug question," Corona says, "it is the best thing I have ever done in education."

The project has brought great recognition to Mr. Corona and to ML King High School.  In 2002, Corona was named the King High Teacher of the Year and he was also named the "Outstanding Teacher for the Inland Empire Council for the Social Studies .  In 2005 he was named the State High School Teacher of the Year by the California Council for the Social Studies and in 2007 he and the program was honored by the Betty Key Award for the best oral history program in the country.  He has also been a nominee for the National Council of the Social Studies National Teacher of the Year and for the Riverside County Office of Education Hall of Fame.

Much of the motivation for the implementation of the proect comes from Corona's desire to recognize his father, James Corona. A veteran of World War II, James Corona served in the Pacific Theater with the 8th Engineers of the 1st Cavalry Division and saw action in New Guinea, the Admiralities and the Philippines.  He received the Bronze Star as he cleared land mines and booby traps, spotted for artillery and naval bombardment and gathered intelligence as a scout.  He was with the "Flying Column" that moved 100 miles in 66 hours to get into Manila and free the civilian prisoners at Santo Tomas in February, 1945.  

"As I help to honor these men and women," says John Corona, "I honor my dad."  James Corona attended King High Remembers every year to witness his son's project until his passing in June of 2011.

Mr. Corona has been married to his wife Nanette since 1988 and they have three sons, Michael, David and Andrew, all of whom are King High School graduates.